Sohn-mat
In Sohn-mat, which translates to “hand taste” and refers to intuitive cooking, Chef Monica Lee showcases recipes for soon tofu, the iconic Korean soup made with soft tofu, from her beloved LA Koreatown restaurant Beverly Soon Tofu.
Sohn-mat is a master class in how to make this exceptional tofu soup at home, as well recipes for all of the other dishes you need to complete the meal, from banchan, to kimchi, to large-format dishes like bibimbap.
Beyond its loyal customers, Beverly Soon Tofu was highly acclaimed. The restaurant was written about by Jonathan Gold and Ruth Reichl, and profiled by Anthony Bourdain in Parts Unknown. Blending the technical expertise of a chef with the practical know-how of a home cook, Sohn-mat offers what no other Korean book on the market does: a level of sophistication that is still geared toward the home kitchen.
Sohn-mat is for fans of Beverly Soon Tofu and those interested in learning about Korean food and cultivating their own intuitive cooking skills.
Available where good books are sold.
In Sohn-mat, which translates to “hand taste” and refers to intuitive cooking, Chef Monica Lee showcases recipes for soon tofu, the iconic Korean soup made with soft tofu, from her beloved LA Koreatown restaurant Beverly Soon Tofu.
Sohn-mat is a master class in how to make this exceptional tofu soup at home, as well recipes for all of the other dishes you need to complete the meal, from banchan, to kimchi, to large-format dishes like bibimbap.
Beyond its loyal customers, Beverly Soon Tofu was highly acclaimed. The restaurant was written about by Jonathan Gold and Ruth Reichl, and profiled by Anthony Bourdain in Parts Unknown. Blending the technical expertise of a chef with the practical know-how of a home cook, Sohn-mat offers what no other Korean book on the market does: a level of sophistication that is still geared toward the home kitchen.
Sohn-mat is for fans of Beverly Soon Tofu and those interested in learning about Korean food and cultivating their own intuitive cooking skills.
Available where good books are sold.
In Sohn-mat, which translates to “hand taste” and refers to intuitive cooking, Chef Monica Lee showcases recipes for soon tofu, the iconic Korean soup made with soft tofu, from her beloved LA Koreatown restaurant Beverly Soon Tofu.
Sohn-mat is a master class in how to make this exceptional tofu soup at home, as well recipes for all of the other dishes you need to complete the meal, from banchan, to kimchi, to large-format dishes like bibimbap.
Beyond its loyal customers, Beverly Soon Tofu was highly acclaimed. The restaurant was written about by Jonathan Gold and Ruth Reichl, and profiled by Anthony Bourdain in Parts Unknown. Blending the technical expertise of a chef with the practical know-how of a home cook, Sohn-mat offers what no other Korean book on the market does: a level of sophistication that is still geared toward the home kitchen.
Sohn-mat is for fans of Beverly Soon Tofu and those interested in learning about Korean food and cultivating their own intuitive cooking skills.
Available where good books are sold.
Praise for Sohn-mat
“In her first-ever cookbook, which hit shelves in September 2023, [Monica Lee] shares 60 masterful recipes, including one for the iconic soft tofu stew, another for crispy-bottomed, spicy bibimbap, and plenty of banchan. Within its pages, Lee and co-author Tien Nguyen also masterfully weave in restaurant history and the evolution of Korean food over time.” - Eater, “The 2023 Eater LA Holiday Gift Guide”
“The closure of Beverly Soon Tofu in Los Angeles was one of the city’s most devastating during the pandemic. But now, the beloved Korean restaurant’s recipes live on: Sohn-mat shares owner Monica Lee’s recipes for soondubu jjigae (tofu stew), plus her chosen ingredients and philosophy around cooking one individual serving at a time . . . But beyond the recipes, the book provides an intimate portrait of one special restaurant at the forefront of Los Angeles’ booming Koreatown.” - San Francisco Chronicle, “The Best Cookbooks of 2023, From Easy Baking Guides to Deep Cuisine Dives”
“In her new book, [Monica Lee] tells the story of how to prepare her signature dish of soon tofu chigae . . . Using her many thorough tips and the recipe for the combination soon tofu, I was able to recreate the magic of my first visit to her restaurant through the pages of Sohn-Mat.” - LA Times, “The Best Cookbooks of 2023”
“This book immortalizes [Monica Lee’s] recipes and the impact she had in this city . . . Beverly Soon was a special place for my family and I and this book is a must for anyone who loves Korean cooking.” - Chef Bricia Lopez in The Guardian, “Chefs Share Their Favorite Cookbooks of 2023”
“L.A. cult-fave restaurant Beverly Soon Tofu sadly closed in 2020, but fans of the Koreatown staple—famous for its custardy tofu jjigae (think spicy stew)—can rejoice by putting chef-founder Monica Lee’s secrets to use in their own homes . . . This book is so awesomely thorough that even home cooks new to Korean food can quickly make their own seasoned red pepper paste, blended garlic, and beef bone broth—or, create the mung bean pancake batter of their dreams, and from scratch.” - Vice, “The Best Cookbooks of 2023”
Monica Lee opened Beverly Soon Tofu in 1986. It was the first restaurant of its kind in LA, a pioneer serving soon tofu stew to residents and visitors of Koreatown for over thirty years.
Tien Nguyen is the co-author of three books, including New York Times bestseller L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food with chef Roy Choi, and The Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook, one of NPR’s 2021 Books We Love.
